The purpose of the trip was to present their work at the Senseable City Lab Forum on Future Cities, at MIT. The topic of the Forum was, "Being Physical: how proximity can foster a resilient society", and brought together leading experts from diverse disciplines and the lab's global research network, spanning the cities of Amsterdam, Rio, and Dubai. This event marked a significant milestone for both the Senseable City Lab and the AMS Institute, highlighting our joint achievements and collaborative research efforts.
Presentations, discussions and more
The three-day forum featured a rich program of activities, including thought-provoking panel discussions, project demonstrations, and research presentations. It kicked off with Hashim Sarkis, dean of the School of Architecture and Planning at MIT. In the inspiring keynote, he highlighted the impactful research of SCL in cities globally, stressing the need to continue to innovate.
The day continued with presentations and panel discussions exploring diverse perspectives on proximities in urban environments. The first panel, "The Power of Proximity," examined how digital technologies have paradoxically both created barriers to human connection and served as tools to bridge those divides.
Perspectives on proximity and innovation
Senseable City Amsterdam researchers and AMS Institute's Scientific Director Eveline van Leeuwen took the stage to highlight ongoing projects in our Amsterdam-based lab. For example, the next panel "Proximity of Species" was introduced by a firestarter presentation from MIT-AMS research fellow Åse Håtveit. Håtveit explored the dominance of human-centric perspectives in urban planning and its implications for biodiversity, leading up to an engaging discussion on what panelist Richard Gill termed the "extinction of experiencing nature".
The final panel, "Proximity and Mobility," tackled the pressing need for reconfigurable transportation systems, with Associate Professor of Transportation at MIT, Cathy Wu, advocating for more adaptable urban mobility solutions.
Amsterdam’s contribution to global insights
Beyond Håtveit’s Firestarter presentation, AMS Institute's contributions were highly visible throughout the event, showcasing the breadth of research being conducted in Amsterdam. Highlights included:
- Michiel van Selm demonstrated the use of visual AI to map tree species in urban environments, revealing new possibilities for city planning and ecology.
- Lukas Beuster presented his work on global shading and shadecasting analysis, illustrating how green and gray urban elements can create more thermal comfort in cities.
- Titus Venverloo emphasized the need for advanced biodiversity monitoring systems in cities, proposing the use of edge AI technologies to collect and analyze urban biodiversity data.
- Tanya Tsui discussed a comprehensive approach to analyzing the carbon footprint of Amsterdam's buildings, factoring in both embodied and operational emissions to inform sustainable urban development strategies.
- Giacomo Orsi showcased a computer vision model capable of predicting speed limit compliance in the city of Amsterdam, contributing to safer and more efficient urban mobility systems.
This forum was a milestone proving the power of collaboration between AMS Institute, MIT, and their global network. As AMS Institute continues to push the boundaries of interdisciplinary research, its projects remain deeply rooted in the ambition to create smarter, greener, and more inclusive urban environments.